Search form

Search form

Crestor, Lipitor and other cholesterol-lowering statins lowered the risk of incidence or recurrence of atrial fibrillation, French researchers concluded after analyzing six controlled studies involving more than 3,500 patients. The study's lead researcher, however, said that it was too early to recommend the use of statin therapy solely to treat irregular heartbeat.

Cholesterol-lowering statins, such as Pfizer's Lipitor and AstraZeneca's Crestor, don't raise the risk of cancer, according to an analysis of 15 statin studies with nearly 100,000 participants. U.S. researchers found that the drugs reduced levels of LDL or "bad" cholesterol by 40 points on average in the trials without affecting total cancer risk. The findings are expected to address concerns that arose after previous studies linked statins to elevated cancer risk.

One alcoholic drink can have a healthful effect on red blood vessels and the heart, but a second drink eliminates those benefits, according to a study. Researchers also found that red wine has no added health benefits compared to other types of alcohol.

Medicare's decision to no longer reimburse hospitals when they commit preventable errors, effective Oct. 1, has other insurers following suit and hospitals considering innovative programs to prevent injury and infection. Hand-washing enforcement, room sterilizers, equipment that triggers an alarm if left inside a patient and less use of catheters are some of the approaches hospitals are using to reduce errors and infection.

AstraZeneca says its new cholesterol-lowering drug, Crestor, is more effective than Lipitor, however, analysts say the latter's name recognition may make it hard to beat. Launched on Monday in the U.S., Crestor is poised to capture 20% of the U.S. statin market.